Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1887-10-19
CHAPTER VIII.
OUT oF THE GOLDEN MIST.

we were back again at tRousdon-Dan Gul-
liver and Job and Ito begin again such por
tion of the old life as was possible. awe will
SO on" said Dan, sadly, "just as we used to
60 on before ever he came. We will forget
that he ever came. You will forget that you
are young lady"
Alasl not only was the old time gone, but
nothing like 1t could ever come again. Will
had torn up the old time and thrown it away.
It was dead. But the memory was left.
One could sit and think till day after day
that summer Of 1908 unrolled itself again, and
could remember every word he said, even
the Ightest, with every gesture and every
look.
The people at Lyme welcomed US all with
q cordiality which meant not only gratitude
for the past. but hope for the future. Since
that dreadful day of rebuke when Joshua's
delivery of goods was discovered to DO so
much sea water and nothing .lse, the town
had been without brandy. Campion's fine old
Jamaica rum, well enough IN its way, was a
poor substitute for the right good Nantes
which Dan had provided. A taste had been
developed which was doomed to disappoint-
ment, for no one succeeded Dan. A man
cannot suddenly become q smuggler. Re
lations have to be established on the opposite
shore, connection to be formed at home; it
is business which is the growth OF years
Now Dan represented the third, and his sons
the fourth generation, Of long career in
the trade, during which the whole business
for this part of the coast had dropped into
tho hands Of Gulliver & Company, SNUG
glers to the nobility, gentry and clergy
Of Lyme Regis and the surrounding
country. Imagine, therefore, what blow
it was to the district when the fatal ar
rest happened, followed by the dreadful dis
sovery of the sea water. So that, when we
came home again, there were visits paid to Us
not only OF congratulation on our return, and
coincidence for poor Jephthah, but also OF
hope and temptation MI. Mallock, j. p,
walked all the way from Lyme on purpose to
see his old friend again, and to hint that the
naked condition Of his cellar, as regarded
French brandy, was deplorable. The Rev.
Benjamin Burden, who, long before the end
Of Dams two years captivity, had got through
his four kegs, came 10 say that he was re-
duced to cider, and that OF the thinnest- Dan
received these visitors with great politeness,
but held out no hopes that the old trade would
be revived. First, lie said, the Dancing
Polly was gone; he should never again find
boat he could trust SO well; then his nephew,
Joshua Mech, was gone, pressed while
busy with the kegs; though how
them kegs turned OUT to be sea
water he couldn't say; and Jephthah
was gone; and be was getting old, and Sec
ond conviction meant capital sentence.
Then his money in John Huntspill's hands
was bringing him little income by itself,
and be had given his promise not to smuggle
any more. think the old man had learned
to look on smuggling, compared with the
great game Of war, as small thing.
1t was strange to come back to this queer
atmosphere, in which crime appeared no sin
and law breaking was encouraged blythe ad
ministrators OF the law. The strangeness
passed Off after awhile. and then the two
years of life in the stately house Of the old
city square appeared, i'll its turn, dreamy and
unreal ....
We came back to the old place, and began
in broken winged way to resume the old
ways. Then, naturally, began to make the
house and the housekeeping more in accord
ance with my recently acquired ideas. Dan
acquiesced, wondering; Job tried to adapt
himself to my ways with the good will which
always distinguished him, but with less Sue
cess. He betook himself to work on the farm,
and in assuming the smock frock immedi-
ately changed, just as he used to do, the roll
of the sailor for the slouch Of the laborer.
John Huntspill wrote to me from time to
time. Madam made no sign Of relenting.
She never asked for news Of me; she had
withdrawn her confidence from him; she
never spoke to any one about her son; she
sat silent all the day long, pale and stern. Her
heart was full of bitterness.
When Dan began to talk about Joshua, and
to regret the misfortunes which efell him,
considered that it would be well to conceal
my share in them, and the fact Of his treach-
cry. When he came home again-should he
ever come home-it would be time to con-
slider what steps should be taken. For the
present it seemed better to Leave the old man
in the belief that Joshua's troubles were un-
deserved. Indeed, it would have been diff
cult to persuade him that his own nephew
could be guilty Of so foul and dastardly q
crime. For my own part, hoped that he
would never come home again. "A life for
life" l said bitterly. "As he destroyed my
Willis life, SO let his be taken away"
1t was in the dark days of December that
we came pack to Rousdon. The wintry
weather suited the misery OF my mind. Yet
after time the old charm Of the sea fell upon
me and soothed me. Dan painted and calked
the little boat. / put out to sea in her again
during the soft, smooth mornings common in
winter on the south coast, when the sun floats
bathed in soft yellow mist, itself a disk Of
molten gold; when, if you see boat, her
masts and hull are wrapped round with q
yellow haze, like those of q float in dream.
Sometimes Dan came with me, and we sailed
or rowed, silent, thinking OF the days that
could come no more.
There was no one like him." said Dan,
one day when we had been sitting quiet in
the boat for an hour and more. There
never was no one like him, and never will be.
Joshua had his good points. For rough
night at seq and ready hand, Joshua never
had his equal. But Joshua was grumpy. He
took after his father in such respects. Now
Mr. Campion, he was always laughing,
always talking, always ready to do hands
turn for everybody. Nobody like him. And
to think Off
"Don't, Dan! don't!" 1 murnulred with the
tears coming into my eyes.
We had dreary Christmas that winter,
though after service in the poor old barn,
which had gone nearly roofless since Dan
went away, the Rev. Mr.. Burden came to
take his dinner with us. A turkey from til 70
farm yard furnished the meal, and after
ward Dan, with guilty look, produced
bottle of rum. MIR. Burden shook his head
sadly, but spent the rest of the day over the
drink in company with Dan, and departed in
the evening with legs which showed ten
dency to tie themselves into knots.
Then the days began to grow longer, and
the spring tiowersappeared on the Undercliff,
till all the ground was covered with the pale
primrose. 1t must have been about this time
that everything began to look as if it belonged
to dream. lam not sure when that strange
feeling began; knew, however, that Dan
used 10 follow me about, and was loath to let
me 60 out Of his sight, for fear, suppose,
that, being in this dreamy way, might fall
into mischief and do myself some injury.
Also, he began to talk Of doctors, and going
to Lyme for u change. Poor old Dan!
The place was so quiet, so remote from all
external influences, that one fell back easily
upon ones own brooding thoughts; had no